School administrators are skilled at collecting data, however too often, they end up storing it, literally. The accountability and assessment movements are pushing schools into taking it out of their drawers, though, and into the open. Some are taking this a step further by establishing school data rooms, where teachers can look over student data in a logical and accessible manner.

At Gilliard Elementary School in Mobile, Alabama, color-coded sticky notes are found on the walls of a room called “the data room.” The notes tell teachers where their students stand on reading and math standards, as well as attendance and discipline records.

The goal is to assist teachers in identifying and addressing students’ needs prior to they become uncontrollable. For instance, if the student isn’t meeting his or her reading goal, the teacher may offer additional practice in class or work with that student outside of school. If a child is experiencing problems with their behavior the teacher may send them to counseling or even consider removing the student from the classroom completely.

Baker’s approach is to let teachers acknowledge their students’ accomplishments by putting data in the forefront. Last spring, an homeless student proudly announced that he had met his reading goal.

Make sure you follow FERPA guidelines and https://dataroomdata.com protect student privacy before making the switch to a digital room. This is especially important for classroom data displays, where sensitive information such as counseling sessions and disciplinary actions could be revealed accidentally.